• There are various requirements which each cable provider must provide their HD customers with.tv control and tv 3 image by chrisharvey from Fotolia.com
  
  While there aren't any strict regulations that force HD cable providers to provide a certain quality of HDTV, there are various requirements that each cable provider must provide to their HD customers. These requirements are rather loose but they involve getting a certain quality of resolution to the customer, ensuring that the customer will be getting an HD signal into their home and that a customer will not be paying for HD service which isn't actual HD service.
  
  

HD Formats

• There are two main formats for High Definition (HD) TV: progressive (p) and interlaced (i). There are also differing levels of resolution in which HDTV is displayed on your television set that range from 480p to 1080p, with 1080p being the highest available. HD picture is displayed on your TV in thin lines on the TV screen one at a time from top to bottom. The HD format determines how many times, or scans, your TV has to go through before the entire image is displayed. There are no actual regulations as to what quality of formatting an HD cable provider must give you before calling it HD quality TV. However, most HD providers offer HD broadcasts that range from 720p to 1080i.
  
  

HD Equipment

• To get HD quality TV broadcasting on your TV you need the proper equipment. First you have to have an HDTV television set. You will also need an HD receiver that contains an HD cable card. The HD cable provider is required to provide you with an HD receiver and HD cable card because without them you will not receive HD quality display on your TV. Finally, you need HD cables that connect your HD receiver to your HDTV. The HD cable provider is not required to provide with HD cables even though you need them to get HD display on your TV. This is because the cable provider's only responsibility is to ensure that the HD signal comes into your home, the rest is up to you. Most cable companies do provide you with at least a component, or YPbPr, cable which transmits HD signal to your TV, however, for the best results, a high-definition media interface (HDMI) cable should be used.
  
  

HD Regulations

• According to Hdtvantennalabs.com, as of 2008, there are no HDTV regulations in force requiring HD cable providers or even HD programming broadcasters to provide a specified quality of HDTV. This has resulted in an unreliable quality of HDTV programming. While most providers and broadcasters stay within the range of 780p and 1080i, you can notice a stark difference between the HD quality on one channel and the next, or even between one program and the next on the same channel.